Do cats feel sadness

[One Love]

Well do they.

No they don't.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Sorry to hear about your Puss,
yeah they have feelings of sadness and other emotion deffo !!

 

[brakespear]

Guinea pigs certainly do - if you get a bonded pair and one dies then unless you're very careful (usually by getting a replacement) then the other one can pine away until it dies.

fmp

 

[leigull]

I will NEVER have another pet after this one has gone.

Exactly how I've felt every time we've lost a cat, but then have always got another one eventually.

A similar question is do cats know when they're going to die? I think mine did earlier this year. She had been diagnosed with cancer, aged 13, and the vet was trying a certain type of medication, giving it for 2 weeks to see if it had any effect. The first week, she seemed to pick up and began eating well again but after 10 days, she refused her food again. I noticed that evening, that she appeared restless and looked uncomfortable. I had remarked to my other half, that I was going to take her to the vets again the following day, and then went to bed. I didn't think to lock the cat flap and when I got up in the morning, I couldn't find her anywhere. In fact, that was the last I saw of her.

Think they do yes. It's often seen that some choose to go off and find a comfortable hidden resting place to pass away, even big cats in the wild will do this. Lions will know their time is up and will take themselves away from the pride and try to hide away somewhere so they can drift away peacefully.

 

[smeariestbat]

i had a very sad situation recently. I adopted a kitten that had been poorly treated, his owners tried to flush him down the toilet apparently. He lived with me for 2 years in a house until my wife and i had to move to a flat. He came with us but had to stay indoors. He didnt cope well, we got another kitten to try and keep him company but he still hated it, so after 6 months we moved somewhere with a garden. He loved it for about a year was really happy and his old self again.
then he started coming home less and less often, and getting very fat, so obviously getting fed elsewhere. Obviously couldnt try keeping him inside, as he hated being shut indoors. So I put a medical alert collar on him saying do not feed, and spoke to the neighbours, but they still kept feeding him. In the end he moved out completely. I hadnt seen him for 18 months when i got the phonecall from the vet. obviously being a reponsible pet owner he was microchipped, and i kept him insured. I went into the vets and he had an infected growth the size of a tennis ball on the side of his neck from fighting other cats that required surgery. The person that had been feeding him had eventually taken him to the vets. After letting it get to size! I was furious, if he had at least come home i would have put germolene or savlon on it, or taken him to the vet long before it ever got that bad! I was cross with the cat too for not coming home. Surgery was covered by the insurance and vet asked what i wanted to do. I felt I had to sign him over to the vet to be rehomed to a different area. As if i brought him home, he wouldnt stay inside as he hates it, and would either run back to the other house or continue to fight the same cats and get in the same situation again. My wife and I were very upset. To add insult to injury the vet said the person who brought them in would be happy to take over care of the cat. I said why, because they did such a good job this time? he needs to be rehomed to a competely different less urban area!

To this end, of its not your cat, dont bloody feed it! if your concerned for their welfare ring the rspca. Chances are they are already being fed at home, they are someone elses cat, and you are being an utter nusiance, especially when you cant be bothered to care for it properly if theres a problem.

 

[Paul Skinback]

I was a dog person all my life, at my parents and then in my own house for 14 years. Completely busted me when he died and i swore i wouldn't have another pet, it felt that i lost a member of my family. 4 years later my wife brings home a tiny handful of fur in the shape of a kitten that fitted on my hand and as they say, the rest is history. I did my research covering much the same as what has been written here and decided i want a cat, not a splatt, so he stays indoors. He has still had his jabs, chipped even and shows no inclination to go outside at 2.5 years old. I never thought in a million years that i'd have to decorate my walls or door frames every 6 months but it is funny seeing him acrobatically hurling himself around like a fly. They make you laugh as much as they will make you cry. I hope your pet as well as yourself can come to terms with the loss of a friend, perhaps you may have to console it as you would a friend, bizarre as it sounds. I wish you well.

 

[Dunk]

You get plug in happy cat hormones (really) that was vet-recommended for a cat I owned. It seemed to help as it stopped the cat weeing indoors and hiding so much. It was unhappy at being re-homed though rather than grieving.

Sorry to hear about your cat dying.

 

[seagullsoverlincoln]

i'm not so sure that cats do feel sadness.ive had two cats for the best part of 28 years ,and have obviously adopted new ones as and when the existing ones have passed away.I might be wrong but i think what cats find hard to accept,is changes in routine and changes to the feline status quo,rather than sadness in their companions passing.

Me however ,am always sad at their passing.

 

[bhafc99]

Try Feliway, I think it's called - either as a spray or plug-in diffuser. It helps with feline stress levels, and although your cat is more sad than stressed, it might help. You can also get pills to put into food, but that's reliant on your cat maintaining a healthy appetite when upset and eating the things, which in our experience doesn't work.

And yup they do get sad. Friends of ours had two cats, one much older than the other, but they'd been together since the younger one was born. When the older cat passed away, the younger cat just took off and was never seen again - they found that very tough. So even though your cat is tugging at your heartstrings now, be grateful you've still got him/her!

 

[Fur Cough]

I know I've been a complete and utter wanker on here in the past but thanks for the replies.

I'm not sure she will see the night out, she is making a noise I've never heard before, it is akin to a wailing, grieving, cry for help. I'm not even sure who I feel sorry for now, her or me.

 

[smeariestbat]

would maybe getting her a playmate help? i.e an older rescue cat or something?

 

[glasfryn]

Try Feliway, I think it's called - either as a spray or plug-in diffuser. It helps with feline stress levels, and although your cat is more sad than stressed, it might help. You can also get pills to put into food, but that's reliant on your cat maintaining a healthy appetite when upset and eating the things, which in our experience doesn't work.

And yup they do get sad. Friends of ours had two cats, one much older than the other, but they'd been together since the younger one was born. When the older cat passed away, the younger cat just took off and was never seen again - they found that very tough. So even though your cat is tugging at your heartstrings now, be grateful you've still got him/her!

I have always used RESCUE REMEDY on strays and really any cat in distress 4 drops in their water or food and if they won't touch that then a little put on their ear tips with the fingers normally does the trick

cats do go off to die in peace
our Kizzy went off while we lived in Wales and I found her a few doors away curled up like she was sleeping, she had been to the vets a month earlier and she was passes OK good heart ect she was 22 years old and I think she had had enough of life, she was a very insular cat but still chose to live with us and 4 other cats.
its nice to know that on this forum now people can show their feelings for animals without getting abuse its not always been that way
LONG MAY IT CONTINUE

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm glad you found Kizzy as I searched and searched for my cat. I didn't want her to die in pain and would rather have taken her to be put down. she'd obviously hidden herself very well as I couldn't find her anywhere. It was hard not knowing when she actually died.

 

[SK1NT]

I love cats and my family are big cat lovers. I had cat from the age of 9 that I saw being born and love to pieces. She slept on my bed every night. When I moved out she came with me. Our other cat and her didnt really get on but when she was dying the other cat Knew, They didnt fight and Other cat would lick and wash her. She finally died at the age of 19 (I had to have her out down) almost 3 years on and I still miss her. I buried her in my dad lovely garden and i always feel sad wen I look over at that part of the garden.

We also had a cpl of other cats but they were run over when they were a few years old. The vet bills were massive but worth it. Unfortunately they never made it.

My Gf now wants to get 2 more cats now we have has to 3 years without my cat. We both want rescue cats, to save them being put down. However I can't go into a shelter and pick two cats out of a ton that may be put down. Choosing a cat purely on which one is prettiest. Cats are highly clever amazing animals. I know when i finally go to the shelter I'll wanna by them all, but know I can't. Was so shocked to see hundreds of cats abandoned on the RSPCA site. So sad.

Some really touching stories on here. I love people who really care an low their pets. Too many ppl out there that don't

 

[HovaGirl]

We had two half-sister cats, one born a year after the other. The younger one was knocked down by a car at 11 months old and broke her pelvis. We had to put her in a cage to help the pelvis to heal, but she just climbed upside down and all over inside it. We just kept her indoors for a few weeks. It was safer. As the years went by, she remained kitten-like and we reckoned she might have been brain-damaged when she was knocked down. The two of them often slept side by side on the beds or sunbathing by the french doors. We moved abroad and left the cats in the care of our two grown-up children. When the older one was 16 years old, during one visit home, I noticed she seemed to be blind and practically deaf and seemed to be aging fast. Six months later, we visited again. By now, one of our children had a dog, which hampered the cats' visits to the catflap. The younger cat was happy to remain indoors with a litter-tray. The older one constantly seemed nervous about trying to get outside. Then she did something she never, ever did, which was stand by the front door, as if asking to go out. She knew the front was where the cars were but still seemed to ask to go out that way. I let her out. Within 5 minutes, she was dead. A neighbour rang our doorbell asking if it was our cat which lay dead on the pavement opposite. It was. She was the love of my life and I was heartbroken. I sense that she committed suicide and deliberately got run over, because she was getting old, and because I was home. I sense she wanted me to know when she died and not learn it from our children. Daft, I know, but that is what I sense. I've told this story to many people and most reply that cats are capable of suicide because they are sensitive to their carers' feelings. I returned to my home abroad and the younger cat just deteriorated and became much quieter, but she lasted another 18 months. We all still miss them very much.

 

[Fur Cough]

Quick update on the moggy:

The cat seems to be fine today, slept on our bed last night and ate 2 bowls of food this morning.

Staring out the window again this morning but only for a few minutes at a time before chasing her favourite golf ball round the lounge.

 

[brighton_girl87]

Yep they definitely do! We got two kittens who were inseparable (a boy and a girl) and one day the girl went missing for ten days! The whole time she was missing the boy was distraught, I've never seen anything like it. He would sit at the window howling most of the day, he also went through a period of being very needy - following me around the house from room to room and constantly wanting to sit on my lap (he had never been interested in being a lap cat before). He then started to do a weird thing where he would get me to follow him by meowing, running ahead and meow again until I caught up with him, all around the street! Finally he became very aggressive and would hiss and scratch whenever we would go near him!

Luckily I found his sister trapped in a garage, when we brought her home the first thing she did was meow for her brother and they then spent about two days solid cuddled up together. With him following her whenever she went to get food or use the litter tray.

Unfortunately, she died a few years later and we were worried we go through the same process again with him mourning her but bizarrely he seemed to be fine about it!

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

My Gf now wants to get 2 more cats

Is that punishment for flirting with the call centre girl?

 

[glasfryn]

I'm glad you found Kizzy as I searched and searched for my cat. I didn't want her to die in pain and would rather have taken her to be put down. she'd obviously hidden herself very well as I couldn't find her anywhere. It was hard not knowing when she actually died.

have a good look around the hedges and bushes thats a favorite place for them to go somewhere tucked away.
reading what others have said confirms what I always though that cats can be very clever at hiding there thoughts, Kizzy never went out in the early mornings as there was always a rush to get out that morning she rushed out first after that previous evening curling up on my lap and purring all night, she never appeared all day so the search started but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew what she was doing.
the following morning the neighbour a few doors down rang me and asked me to come down to see her, then I was sure.
she was curled up outside her summerhouse just like she had fallen asleep there, my thoughts were and still are that she did not want to die in the house with 4 other cats there but knew the neighbour would find her(well her dog did) she had apparently been looking there a few days before having never been there before.
my only sadness is that we buried 4 cats that adopted us and 4 that were killed on the road near us in Wales.
but they are always in our memories and hearts.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

have a good look around the hedges and bushes thats a favorite place for them to go somewhere tucked away.
reading what others have said confirms what I always though that cats can be very clever at hiding there thoughts, Kizzy never went out in the early mornings as there was always a rush to get out that morning she rushed out first after that previous evening curling up on my lap and purring all night, she never appeared all day so the search started but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew what she was doing.
the following morning the neighbour a few doors down rang me and asked me to come down to see her, then I was sure.
she was curled up outside her summerhouse just like she had fallen asleep there, my thoughts were and still are that she did not want to die in the house with 4 other cats there but knew the neighbour would find her(well her dog did) she had apparently been looking there a few days before having never been there before.
my only sadness is that we buried 4 cats that adopted us and 4 that were killed on the road near us in Wales.
but they are always in our memories and hearts.

I did look under hedges and shrubs for 5 or 6 streets explaining to neighbours what I was doing. I looked for a few days. I also contacted the vet to let him know as she was still having treatment and he agreed with me that she'd gone away to die.